SANTA ANA – April 13, 2020 – In-person Vote Center voting in the City of Santa Ana Special Recall Election, which was scheduled to begin on Saturday, May 9, 2020 and run through May 19, 2020, has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 response. The election will now be conducted as an all-mail ballot election.

Pursuant to Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order (N-48-20), the generalized use of in-person voting may present risks to public health and safety in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and could risk undermining social distancing measures imposed by the State Public Health Officer, as well as other aspects of the response to COVID-19.

Additional Options for VotersThe City of Santa Ana Special Recall Election will proceed under the special provisions of a mail ballot election. Orange County made the transition to the Voter’s Choice Act beginning with elections in 2020. Under this method of voting, every voter in an election receives a vote-by-mail ballot. Each voter in the City of Santa Ana will be mailed a ballot beginning on April 20, 2020. Voters will have the following options for returning their vote-by-mail ballot:

Mail their ballot (postage is pre-paid) so that it is postmarked by Election Day, May 19, 2020 • Drop off their ballot at the Registrar of Voters’ ballot drop box, open 24-hours per day, no later than 8 p.m. on May 19, 2020, 1300 South Grand Avenue, Santa Ana

Drop off their ballot at other ballot drop box locations in the City of Santa Ana, open 24-hours per day, at the following locations no later than 8 p.m. on May 19, 2020:

Options for Voters with Disabilities or Voters with Medical Impacts Related to COVID-19The Registrar of Voters’ Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail ballot system provides voters with disabilities and those with medical impacts related to COVID-19 the option to request a vote-by-mail ballot to be delivered electronically. The electronic ballot can be downloaded to the voter’s computer, marked using the voter’s own assistive technology and then printed. Voters should follow the return instructions included with the electronic ballot. To request a Remote Accessible Vote-by-Mail ballot, voters can:

Complete the postcard with pre-paid postage located on the back of the Voter Information Guide

Requests must be received no later than May 12, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. (pursuant to the federal Help America Vote Act of 2002 (52 U.S.C. Sec. 20901 et seq.)

Voters with disabilities, or particularized needs, who are unable to download or cast an electronic ballot, should call the Registrar of Voters at 714-567-7600 no later than May 15, 2020 to discuss additional options for casting a ballot in this election

Communication with Santa Ana VotersIn addition to this widely distributed press release, the Registrar of Voters will be using the following methods to communicate these changes to the voters in the City of Santa Ana pursuant to the Governor’s Order that “…maximum possible notice to voters about how to participate in (this election) shall be given, paying particular attention to the needs of voters at high risk from COVID-19, individuals with disabilities, and other voters with particularized needs”:

Extensive communication related to the in-person closures has been included in the Voter Information Guide, which will be mailed to all voters in Santa Ana beginning on April 13, 2020, providing them notice of closures and alternative options for casting a ballot (this notice will also include translated versions for those voters who have requested bilingual assistance)

An email notice will be sent to all voters (with emails on file in their voter record) in the City of Santa Ana (on Tuesday, May 5, 2020) providing them notice of closures and alternative options for casting a ballot (this notice will also include translated versions for those voters who have requested bilingual assistance)

Notices will be prominently placed on previously used Santa Ana in-person locations (used in the March Primary Election) in English as well as Chinese, Farsi (Persian), Korean, Spanish, Tagalog and Vietnamese

If a voter did not receive their ballot in the mail by April 27, 2020, they may visit ocvote.com/replacement to request a replacement ballot

Voters can call the Registrar of Voters office at 714-567-7600 Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for assistance or visit ocvote.com/santa-ana for further details

General BackgroundOn March 19, 2020 Governor Gavin Newsom issued Executive Order (N-33-20), which requires compliance with the order by the California State Public Health Officer and Director of Public Health for “all individuals living in the State of California to stay home or at their place of residence” until further notice in order to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following the aforementioned Order, Governor Newsom issued Executive Order (N-48-20) on April 9, 2020, which reads in part that “…on May 19, 2020, a Special Recall Election will be held in the City of Santa Ana, in the County of Orange, and that state law would ordinarily require that (this) election be conducted using in-person voting at polling locations throughout (the City of Santa Ana); the generalized us of in-person voting presents risks to public health and safety in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and could risk undermining social distancing measures imposed by the State Public Health Officer, as well as other aspects of the response to COVID-19; and that California’s existing vote-by-mail procedures can be used to allow (this) election to go forward in a manner that is accessible, secure, and safe”.

The Order goes on to say that pursuant to the Governor’s authority the election “shall be held as an all-mail ballot election and conducted according to those provisions of the Elections Code that govern all-mail ballot elections, including but not limited to Elections Code sections 3000-3026 and 4100”.

About the Registrar of Voters:The Registrar of Voters is responsible for conducting elections in the County of Orange, the fifth largest voting jurisdiction in the United States with 1.6 million registered voters. We are a County agency, which receives funding from the County’s General Fund and periodic reimbursement from the federal government, the State of California and local jurisdictions. Read more >>

SANTA ANA, CA – March 1, 2020 – On Sunday, March 1, 2020 at approximately 4:30 p.m., the Orange County Registrar of Voters received reports that a shooting occurred near the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Santa Ana (the site of one of our Vote Centers). Vote Center staff and voters have been evacuated and are safe. An active criminal investigation is taking place and the Santa Ana Police Department is asking the public to stay away from the vicinity of the area.

The Orange County Registrar of Voters continues to cooperate with the Santa Ana Police Department to address the matter and is taking precautions to ensure the safety of the public. The Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Santa Ana will not be operated as a Vote Center until further notice.

Voters wishing to vote in-person at visit any of the other 188 Vote Centers. For a full list of locations, please visit ocvote.com/votecenter.

Quote by Registrar of Voters Neal Kelley:

“I am grateful that our Vote Center team members and voters are safe. My office is dedicated to providing election services for the citizens of Orange County to ensure equal access to the election process, protect the integrity of votes, and maintain a transparent, accurate and fair process. We look forward to serving voters at our 188 other Vote Center locations,” said Neal Kelley, Registrar of Voters.

Did you know that the Orange County Registrar of Voters is planning to make a big change to Voting Centers? California law requires extensive public outreach during the transition to Vote Centers – and a public workshop is in fact coming up here in Santa Ana on July 18, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Southwest Senior Center, located at 2201 W. McFadden Ave. Click here to see the Public Meeting Calendar.

A Vote Center is more than a traditional polling place-it’s a full-service voting experience. Cast your ballot at any location, stop by on the weekend, even register to vote.

There are many Voting Center benefits:

You’ll have the opportunity to vote at one of nearly 200 customer service centers located throughout Orange County – options include the opportunity to vote for 10 days prior to any election day, including Saturdays and Sundays.

You’ll be greeted and checked in electronically – with all of your voter data at our fingertips we’ll be able to solve any problems quickly.

Casting a ballot is also quick and easy, plus you can drop off your completed vote-by-mail ballot at any location.

Think of a Vote Center as your one-stop location for all things voting. Unlike traditional in-person options for voting, Vote Centers allow you to not only vote, but to solve voter registration issues, register to vote, get a replacement ballot, and get general assistance for 11 days, not just one. Plus, electronic check-in is more secure and speeds up the process – saving you valuable time.

Vote Centers mean many more options for voters. Elections are no longer a one-day event. Voting begins the month before any election day when every voter will receive a vote-by-mail ballot. Take advantage of the alternatives available to avoid congestion – from voting at home, drive-thru ballot drop-off, in-person options, returning your ballot via the United States Postal Service, or personally deliver your ballot to us – the choice is yours.

Site Selection Considerations:

Vote center and ballot dropoff location proximity to public transportation.

Access to accessible and free parking at vote centers and ballot dropoff locations.

The distance and time a voter must travel by car or public transportation to a vote center and ballot dropoff location.

The need for alternate methods for voters with disabilities for whom vote by mail ballots are not accessible to cast a ballot.

Traffic patterns near vote centers and ballot dropoff locations.

The need for mobile vote centers in addition to the number of vote centers established pursuant to this section.

Room size and location

Free parking available

Facility availability for multiple days and extended hours, including weekends

California’s election laws govern how Vote Center elections are conducted. California Senate Bill 450 was passed by the Legislature and signed by the Governor in 2016. The law authorizes counties to conduct any election as an all-mailed ballot election provided the jurisdiction provides ballot dropoff locations, vote centers and conducts outreach.

Bitter former State Senator Janet Nguyen can’t accept that she lost in the November General Election to her Democratic opponent, Tom Umberg. Even though he beat her handily by 135,062 to 131,973 votes, according to the California Secretary of State.

Nguyen has in fact demanded a recount. That expensive process will begin this Monday, Dec. 10, at 9 a.m. at the O.C. Voter Registrar’s office, located at 1300 South Grand Ave., in Santa Ana.

Why is Nguyen surprised that she lost? She didn’t bother to campaign in the Long Beach portion of her district – which is where Umberg creamed her. And she bothered a lot of her constituents when she went after OC Supervisor Andrew Do, her fellow Republican, when he ran for reelection two years ago. He almost lost that election because of Nguyen’s nasty meddling. Many of us never forgot this slight. My entire family voted for Umberg even though we disagree with most of his positions on the issues.

The fact is Nguyen has become a horrible bully over the years. Many of her former supporters celebrated her loss. Including, I am sure, the family of that poor guy in Fountain Valley who went to jail after he got caught laundering money for Nguyen. Of course she hung that fellow out to dry.

Details on the recount status will be located on the OC Voter Registrar’s website at ocvote.com.

Voters will be able to access to several Vote Centers throughout Orange County and a one-day Pop-Up Vote Center in Santa Ana beginning on October 26th. Services will include early in-person voting, ballot drop-off, replacement ballots and other voting services.

Orange County Speeds up Delivery of Non-English Ballots 2-Week Translation Delay Reduced to as Little as 48 Hours

Santa Ana, California – Orange County is making it easier for non-English speaking communities to exercise their right to vote.

This election, the Orange County Registrar of Voters has dramatically improved the delivery times for non-English vote-by-mail ballots, providing Vietnamese, Spanish, Korean, Chinese, Tagalog and Farsi speakers more time to review their election materials. In previous elections, non-English voters waited nearly two weeks longer than English speakers to receive their ballots. Continue reading→

The Registrar of Voters Office will begin mailing out the Vote-by-mail ballots starting Tuesday, October 9, 2018. If you are interested in voting my mail, the deadline to complete your application and request a Vote-by-Mail ballot is Tuesday, October 30, 2018.

Any registered voter may vote using a vote-by-mail ballot instead of going to the polls on Election Day. A voter may request a vote-by-mail ballot for a single election or permanent vote-by-mail voter (formerly referred to as absentee ballot). Continue reading→

SANTA ANA, CA – On Tuesday, September 25 at 9:00 a.m., the Santa Ana City Council, along with representatives from Santa Ana College, Santa Ana Unified School District, Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters will host a public event to kick off the City’s ‘Register and Vote’ campaign that will run until Election Day on November 6.

Youth organizers are encouraging new voters: “Don’t speak the change, make the change.” With this September 25th event, Santa Ana is joining efforts around the country to celebrate National Voter Registration Day. This single day of coordinated field, technology and media efforts aims to help tens of thousands of new voters learn about voter registration opportunities in Santa Ana. Continue reading→